Abstract
Collections of seed germ plasm (seed banks) provide valuable reservoirs for
use in controlled experiments and selective improvement of species. There are
different methods for seed preservation of great importance for the malting and
brewing industries to protect or maintain the germination energy and germination
capacity of the germ plasm. The process of freeze-drying has a potential
application for the maintenance of the genetic characteristics of malting barley
germ plasm. The current study gathers information from tests initiated in 1986
by our esteemed colleague Ing. Guillermo Massieu Olivares and tries to
understand the behavior of the germination energy and germination capacity of
malting barley after controlled treatments with freeze-drying equipment. Results
are rather convincing and could open a new technological and practical
application for the use of freeze-drying in germ plasm centers or in commercial
grain storage.Keywords: freeze-drying, germination capacity, germination energy, germ
plasm, malting barley, storage